Pakistan puts on hold granting MFN status to India

Washington, Oct 10: Pakistan has decided to put on hold, granting the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, following the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

This news comes in just before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections slated in Novemer-December.

Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told a Washington audience that Islamabad had to put on hold granting the MFN status to its neighbour in view of the public pressure in the aftermath of the unfortunate incident on the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

"These are public sentiments. So we had to put it on hold," he said on Wednesday.

He also added that the MFN status is unlikely to happen before India goes to vote in November- December. "You have to take all things forward my friend, WE are very keen to move forward and start the composite dialogue as early as possible. The meeting between the two Pms was excellent," he said.

Dar also alleged that there were 'certain hands' who were always trying to derail the process between the two nations.

Dar: Certain hands are trying to derail the process

Dar also said that India, because of the elections, was not ready to move the composite dialogue forward. I cant go too much in detail, he said.

After the elections the process would be speeded up. Because there would be no elections here for four and half years plus. So I think, we can and we should move forward," Dar added.